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Guatemala 1954
Guatemala 1954
Guatemala 1954
Jacobo Arbenz first peaceful transition of power ever in Guatemala, attempted to be a
democracy. Roosevelt in mind with reforms. Although, largest land owner was united
fruit company, and Arbenz decided, to help poverty, and take the land back from the
company and redistribute it to the poor, but reimburse them for it. He pays them what
they wrote on the taxes, but the united company was lying and saying the land had less
value to avoid taxes. A lot of Americans. owned stock in the fruit company. Americans
concerned that they were "indirectly influenced by the communists", they decide they
need to overthrow him. They use the same technique as Iran, propaganda campaign.
Multiple operations, general Carlos Castillo Armas military dictator of Guatemala, 1954
and 1990, civilians killed in an attempt to eliminate all communists. Bloodiest conflict as
result of destabilization. CIA is not concerned with this, they just want Arbenz gone.
Short term thinking
CIA carried out pretty big coup and simultaneously had an assassination plan for the
gov officials, saw communism there as a threat. Truman was not fully in on this.
Cuba
Unlike Iran and Guatemala, Bay of pigs is a very public disaster. People know the
Kennedy administration was involved to overthrow Castro government. They use the
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same strategy, and it didn't work.
-Lack of coordination. wanted to destroy Castro's air force, Castro saw the info and hid
the air force. But they still went through with the attack, but this didn't work and they
outnumbered the American troops
In Guatemala city, a guy from Argentina was living there, Ernesto Guevara, Chey sees
the events and escapes into Mexico. He becomes Minister of the Interior in Cuba, so he
tells Castro about what he saw and the propaganda does not work. Cuba survives
Brazil
Overthrow Goulart to reduce spread of government, 1961-1964 has to destabilize the
gov. First oval meeting was secretly recorded, need to strengthen military. Overthrow
Goulart was because he was strengthen ties with communist countries and ruin brazil
economy
Kennedy use his brother to face Goulart to talk to Goulart about how he cant have
communists, and it goes nowhere.
There aren't really any communists in Brazil, but Goulart was establishing trade ties.
More "indirect communism"
United states expects (Atlantic charter) that you're wither in Soviet sphere or American
sphere. Trying to forge independent path and want reform, America assumes that its
correlation with communism.
Chile 1973
President Nixon ordered a military coup to kidnap military leader Salvador Allende,
military regime in Chile leader, socialist. Democratic socialist. America didn't like it
General Allende(?) ended up assassinated, and USA thought they needed to utilize the
general, CIA do actual coup, supply Chile with weapons they need, elect Salvador
Allende as a danger. CHile is a bit more rationalized, people more radicalized than
Allende is, he has to supply. His work is undone with the coup, Allende dies during it.
Official position was that he took his own life to evade capture (Questionable)
Isabella Allende is his daughter, she is an author
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Cold war resurface;;
Review and extras;;
Russians don't actually retreat, push Greece and Turkey armies further south to
restructure borders to give them another government. Yugoslavia was communist, but
Tito was communist but anti-Moscow. US decides they can live with this kind of
communist. So Yugoslavia is not counted in the eastern block.
Blowback
CIA term used in March 1954 in respect to 1953 report about overthrow in Iran,
metaphor for unintended consequences they kept secret from the American people.
Book by Chalmers Johnson in 2001 reveal. Caused things like 9/11
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